The ad presents Simon as a strong, independent voice who will work for all Marylanders in Washington, and criticizes the two political parties and its leaders for playing partisan games that are dividing Americans and blocking progress.

The text of the ad is as follows:

[Ad opens with clips of politicians arguing with each other on TV and in Congress] “Tired of all that? Me too. That’s why I’m running for the U.S. Senate to change the way Washington works. From healthcare costs to a lack of high paying jobs, nothing gets done anymore because of silly partisan games. But a true outsider could change that. I’m Neal Simon and I approved this message. Because, Maryland, I’ll never fight for a party boss. I’ll only fight for you.”

Simon’s first television advertisement – titled “Together” – began airing on July 30, 2018, and highlights the reasons why Simon thinks he should represent Marylanders in the U.S. Senate. It creates a stark contrast between Simon and the career politician he is challenging in November.

Earlier this week, Simon announced he accepted an invitation to debate incumbent Sen. Ben Cardin and Republican candidate Tony Campbell in a series of televised debates hosted by Sinclair Broadcast Group. As tentatively scheduled, the first debate will occur during the week of October 7, 2018, followed by a second debate the week of October 22, 2018.

Nationally, Simon has been endorsed by Unite America, a moderate, centrist group with members that include sitting independent governor Bill Walker of Alaska, and has received support from No Labels, a bipartisan political organization whose mission is to combat partisan dysfunction in politics and usher in a new era of focused problem solving in American politics.